Stray Child
by Melody of Shadow
Summary: Having never found out from Helba that Kite was Orca’s friend, Balmung does some digging and decides to visit the comatose boy. He certainly didn’t expect to find what he did. Or should we say who? Not an OC.
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary:** Having never found out from Helba that Kite was Orca's friend, Balmung does some digging and decides to visit the comatose boy. He certainly didn't expect to find what he did. Or should we say who? Not an OC._

_There are spoilers…if you don't know what happens to Orca. In like, the first twenty minutes of the game. Or if you don't know about Kite's new item, in the next ten minutes or so of it. And I apologize if Kite seems OOC, but really, he acts so depressed sometimes! Even if it's mostly after someone yells at him._

_Rated Teen because before this is over, I will most likely end up cursing two or three times, be it in the fanfiction or out of it._

_Done because there is a serious lack of dot hack/INFECTION fanfiction, or any of the video games in the series, for that matter. And you can do so much with the storyline…anyways, enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: **I'm borrowing the dot hack games one by one from my friend. What in the world makes you think I own the whole friggin' company?_

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Every day, the boy who had become known as Kite in the popular online game, "The World", would make a stop at the local hospital after school before heading home. It never lasted long, usually only twenty or thirty minutes at the most, but it was enough to get some of the nosier nurses to whisper amongst themselves. Some were convinced that he was simply paying his respects to a deathly ill elder, while others thought the boy was involved in some secret love affair. One employee, sick of all the gossip, went and found information on who he kept visiting, and showed it to the nurses. It turned out that the boy was visiting another teen, male, and roughly the same age.

_That_ had only raised a few eyebrows (especially for the followers of the "love affair"), and most of the women were too convinced their version was right to take the information seriously.

Kite, as he had accustomed to being called, looked everything and nothing like his avatar in real life. At the moment, he was wearing the standard black school uniform with a simple collar and white trim. He was small, lean, and thin muscles rippled across his frame, their source of which unknown. His hair, while maintaining the same shape as it did online, was a fluffy, chocolate brown that perfectly matched his dark eyes.

It wasn't that Kite looked like his avatar in the World-he didn't in the slightest-but it was more of the way he carried himself that caused the similarities. An aura of sadness and determination seemed to linger around his body, and each light step that he took seemed to punctuate this fact.

As of right now, though, Kite was slouching in a chair next to the bed of his comatose friend, collar unbuttoned and hanging open to reveal his neck, and his eyes were dull, being quite deep in thought. He watched Orca (funny how playing the World has gotten him into the habit of calling Yasuhiko that,) remembering solemnly the first time he had been allowed to visit the hospital room, and the shock he had received. Orca had looked so weak…he still did, for that matter. It only made Kite all the more determined to find the cure for his friend in the World.

"You know," he said now to the patient (if, for nothing else, to break an increasingly depressing silence). "I met this really stuck-up guy the other day online. BlackRose kind of forced me to go to this one area, some sort of cathedral…and well, one thing led to another, and he ended up trying to save us from one of those infected monsters. Data bugs," He corrected, remembering the name BlackRose had used. Kite grinned without humor. "Of course, that was when I got the bracelet, because the thing just wouldn't_ die_ and BlackRose and the other guy were looking pretty worn out"

_I didn't want more people to end up like you._

"Only now, instead of being grateful, the guy's determined to catch me, because he thinks that I'm some kind of a hacker."

Of course, there was no response from the only other human in the room. Kite sighed, and drifted back into his thoughts, but not before he muttered one last thing.

"I think his name was…Balmung."

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As it was, the same man that Kite had been softly complaining of to his friend happened to be just four stories below and outside, briefcase waiting securely in the car and wondering why in the nine Hells he had the bright idea to come here in the first place. From where "Balmung" lived, the hospital was quite out of his way, and it had taken a long time to reach this place.

To be honest, he was afraid of what he might find. It had come as quite a shock anyways when Helba, that blasted hacker, had told him Orca was in a coma, and oh-by-the-way was only fourteen years old. Frankly, between the appearances of the Data Bugs, his partner's condition, and the people responsible for this entire mess running free, his temper had been running a bit short lately.

"It's all that damn virus' fault…" He growled.

"Um, can I help you?"

Balmung jumped. He hadn't noticed that he had gotten all the way to the front desk of the hospital. The secretary was staring at him oddly. "Yes," he said, relaxing slightly. "I am here to visit a friend; can you tell me which ward he is in? His name is Orc-I mean, Yasuhiko…"

"Oh, that boy! Funny how popular he is, his other friend has been visiting every day. I'm sure if he was awake he would be glad to get a visit from his uncle."

_Uncle? Do I really look that old? Oh well, it doesn't matter. It's less suspicious this way._ He flashed her a smile, although it was half-turned to a smirk. Fortunantly, the nurse did not notice. "Indeed. The ward, please?"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Here you go." She gave Balmung the number and directions to Orca's room, then went back to her computer as a silent gesture of dismissal. Slowly, he turned away from the front desk, and went off to find his partner's room, repeating over and over again that there was absolutely nothing wrong with meeting up with some kid from an online game when said kid knew nothing about it.

It was just a polite visit from a companion. That was all.

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Kite was once again knocked rudely from his trance-like state, this time by a noise coming from somewhere outside the room. For one fleeting, confused moment, he thought that Orca was waking up, but no, it wasn't that at all. Someone was opening the door to his room, muttering incoherent words (though he distinctly heard the word, "stalker,") under their breath.

Dully, he realized that Orca had another visitor, and one that obviously had expected the room to be empty. A tall blonde man entered the room and promptly stopped when he noticed the other. He stared at Kite, gray eyes blinking in surprise, and all prior muttering ceasing. It was apparent that he expected Orca to be the only human in the room. For a few minutes, the machines Yasuhiko was hooked up to were the only sounds that either could hear.

Then, abruptly, Kite pushed his chair back from the bed, and stood up. He murmured a very soft, "Sorry," to the other man, and made to leave. It was obvious that whoever the guy was, he wanted some time alone with the comatose patient. He was halfway through the door when the man grabbed his elbow. Kite looked up in surprise.

"You don't have to leave," The older man stated softly. "Do not feel the need to simply because I am here."

At that moment, Kite's blood ran cold, and a feeling of pure fear washed over him.

_That voice…!_ He thought. _It's the same as the guy who- it's the same as Balmung's!_ Whereas before Kite wanted to leave out of respect, he now wanted to go for his own safety. There was no telling what might happen if Balmung discovered who he was online, most especially as their last meeting had not ended on the best of terms.

_But what do I do?__If I speak at all, it's almost guaranteed he'll recognize my voice. But if I don't talk…he'll get suspicious anyways! Maybe I should just run away right now, and hope he doesn't follow._

It was too late, though. Seeing as Kite had yet to move, the man-no, Balmung- had taken it as a sign of his acceptance to stay, and was already leading him back into the room.

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Kite mutely sank back down into his chair. He was worried; even if he managed to avoid Balmung's questions, it wouldn't be too long before his cover was blown.

And _then_ what would happen? Kite was terrified. Even if the older man was an average adult height, he still towered over Kite, and there was no doubt in the boy's mind that if the situation became physical, he'd probably end up right next to Orca.

Yet again, he was abruptly brought out of his musings, this time by someone snapping their fingers under his nose.

"Sorry," the man - _Balmung- _said. "But you were zoning out on me. I'll ask again. Is Yasuhiko your friend?"

Kite nodded.

"Have you known him for a while?" Nod, nod.

"I suppose you met him at your school, whatever it may be." Another silent confirmation from Kite.

"Hm, I see. Who are you, anyway?"

Well, shoot.

Later, he would wonder just why Balmung was asking all these questions, but for now Kite was too caught up in his current crisis to care. It didn't take too long for him to get to a question that couldn't be answered with a simple yes or no. Kite, therefore, did the only thing he could do: said nothing.

"Come on, child, do not space out on me again. Who are you?"

Maybe he could still get out the door without trouble. This was obviously _not_ going to end well.

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Balmung sighed, frustrated. The kid was either mute, deaf, or was afraid some sort of apocalypse would occur should he reply in any way to him. And the fact that the boy's eyes kept darting towards the door every few minutes only made him more suspicious of who he really was.

"Look, boy, you can leave as soon as you tell me who you are. Can I not simply receive a name or something?"

His response was for the boy to suddenly leap up and making a dash for the door. He was not fast enough, however, and just like before, Balmung caught his right arm and dragged him back into the room. This time, however, he did not let go.

"Now that that's taken care of, you will tell me. Why are you so persistent in keeping silent?" He growled. Again, the kid did not speak, and merely kept his eyes on the floor.

Growing angrier by the second, Balmung squeezed his arm tighter. The boy whimpered softly. "I do not appreciate being ignored." There was a silent threat in those words that both understood.

Kite saw no way of getting out of answering this question. _I...I guess I have no choice._ The knot in his stomach had returned with even greater force than before. "Because," he said, body trembling slightly, "I don't know what will happen…when you hear me speak."

Balmung's eyes widened in shock, then quickly narrowed in anger. "You," he hissed. "You are that hacker with the bracelet!"

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_I think that's a good place to stop, don't you? xD_

"_It was just a polite visit from a companion. That was all." Sorry fangirls, no shounen-ai in this fiction. I have nothing against it (I even admit to being a fangirl myself,) but in order for this to work, the guys have to feel exactly what their actions and body language claim. In other words, the ancient fangirl rule of, "two guys that are mortal enemies are secretly lovers!" doesn't apply here. :_

"_A blonde man stared at Kite, his gray eyes blinking in surprise." Yeah, it's an awful description, but you know what? I'm pretty sure all of you people have your own version of how the characters look in real life. If you lack imagination, just pretend that Balmung's in his entire getup as it is in The World._

_See ya later! In the mean time, **Tell me what you thought of it!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: -prays not to be killed-_

_Ack! Okay, I admit it. This took forever. And I deserve to rot in Fanfiction purgatory. _

_Basically EVERYTHING went wrong in getting this out. I'm still not happy with this chapter, but hopefully that'll give me the incentive to get the next one out in less time._

_In my fanfiction (all of it- including stuff that I have yet to write, unless otherwise stated), Balmung is aged around twenty-three. His age is fanon (in other words, I made it up.) Kite, on the other hand, is in the eighth grade, so he is either thirteen or fourteen. His age is canon (as it's been confirmed not only in the game, but in the LoT manga, albeit vaguely.)_

_This chapter is dedicated to three people: my partners-in-crime, Sepik and Christine, and my buddy Sargent Snarky. Sepik, for giving me an AWESOME idea about the beginning, Christine, because you know I'd be lost without her meticulous editing and Miss Snarky, because she poked me back into existence. Several times. _

_Disclaimer: Don't own dot hack._

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Silence reigned immediately after Balmung's outburst. The air was heavy, tense even, between the two consciously perceiving people in the hospital room. And for one brief moment, Kite reflected that the American idiom of, "air so thick you could cut it with a knife," perhaps had more truth to it than let on.

His next coherent thought was that this could not possibly end well.

Timidly, he looked up and met Balmung's eyes, only to see the hatred and rage that was expected, but not welcomed. To his credit, Kite had not been overcome by a full-blown panic attack (as he was ever-so famous for because of that _incident_ in school last year), though his stomach was twisting rather uncomfortably and he was fairly positive the patients three doors down could hear his heartbeat.

Balmung's thoughts, meanwhile, were racing down one track. _This is the boy that caused Orca's comatose state. He's here._ The thought sickened him at how far the hacker would go to hurt his victims – had he not done enough by simply placing Orca in this hospital room to begin with? What exactly was he planning to do next?

Yet at the same time…

_He's right here. This is the perfect opportunity to avenge Orca._ He growled, tugging none-too-gently on his adversary's arm; not noticing or perhaps not caring about the slight wince of pain that crossed the other's face.

"You," he stated dangerously. "What is your name?"

"Kite-"

"Not that one. Do not lie." Balmung was all but utterly infuriated. "Your _real_ name. What is it?"

Kite swallowed hard, visibly nervous now. "I-I can't tell you that."

"Why not? Are you afraid of what might come to pass? Or are you just not _brave,_" he sneered at the word, "enough to be a publicized hacker and dangerous criminal?"

"I told you before, I'm not a hacker!"

"And I told _you _to not lie to me! You are not leaving until-" Balmung was cut off suddenly by an ear-shattering noise. Startled, he broke eye contact with Kite, searching for the source.

It was coming from the heart monitor.

"Yasu…!" Taking advantage of Balmung's distracted state, Kite broke free from the painful grip on his arm and ran to the bedside. Sliding onto both knees, he stared desperately into his friend's face while grabbing one of the unresponsive hands. "Yasu! Yasu!"

Momentarily bewildered, Balmung watched the machine next to Orca's bed go crazy. Rather than seeing the radio waves flat-lining as was expected, he was surprised to see exactly the opposite. According to the machine, Orca's heart was pumping one-hundred-and-eighty-three beats per minute.

And then, almost as quickly as it began, the heart rate dropped back to a normal level, taking the infernal noise with it.

Kite blinked, looking slowly between Yasuhiko's immobile body and the numerous machines in the room, as though trying to comprehend exactly what just happened. And for that one moment, Balmung of the Azure Sky saw not the notorious hacker which he hunted so relentlessly, but a normal boy simply worried for his friend.

_...Friend?_

The moment was promptly ruined as a team of doctors burst through the door, surrounding Balmung, whom they saw as the adult, and showered him with questions as to what had occurred. At some point in all the confusion, he noticed that Kite had somehow slipped away.

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Later that day, Balmung found himself pondering over the events as he put away the week's groceries.

It had come as quite a shock to find the very man - no, _boy _- that he had promised to, mere hours after he had sworn to hunt him down. It was even more surprising that the hacker was in Orca's…hospital room.

Hospital. He hated that word. Even after all this time, it was still difficult to wrap his mind around the fact that a simple video game could put someone so close to death's door. Or for that matter, that the game could have such an impact on people.

Reaching up to the cabinet above the stove, he opened the small door. Balmung grabbed one of the many bags and hurriedly placed the tuna into the compartment before his cat sniffed it out particularly. The blasted thing had a dangerous obsession towards fish, and tended to get revenge in very..._creative_ manners if he did not buy it at least once a week. At the moment, however, Balmung just didn't want to feed his fur ball.

Once that was settled, the man went to his room, sat down in front of his trusty laptop, and just thought about how things stood. His cat followed, living proof that the attempts to hide the fish had failed. Balmung didn't take note, being too caught up in his own thoughts. How had things gone so wrong?

Frankly, Balmung was entirely too confused about the whole situation online for his own comfort. He definitely knew that the boy he met in Orca's room today was the same one in the temple, but what was he doing there? Was it to cause further damage to his victim? Honestly, though, he didn't see the little brat as that kind of person. Granted, he was probably some angst-ridden teenager, but during the battle with the Data Bug the kid didn't seem like a sadist…

There was the problem right there. Kite wasn't an adult; he looked barely to be a teenager. This hacker, this great criminal that Balmung had built up in his mind to be an embodiment of manipulation, was in fact just the opposite - a kid. Not even one that appeared to be a bully, either. No, in real life, Kite had seemed timid and unsure of himself. Shy, even. Certainly nothing like what Balmung had pictured. And because his previous image was completely shattered, Balmung could not for his life find a way to blame Kite for what had occurred. Even if it was completely obvious that it was his fault, to some degree.

Unexpectedly, the infamous cat rubbed across his left leg, purring in a gesture of mock love. Ignoring it, Balmung groaned and buried his face in his hands. Even if Kite was guilty, it didn't excuse how he himself, had acted back in the hospital room. Aside from being downright rude, he had jumped to conclusions without even giving the boy a proper chance to explain.

"This would be so much easier," He muttered. "If I didn't know that, with my invariable luck, I will probably run into him again online soon." Getting tired of his cat's false affection, he stood up abruptly, and, grumbling all the way, went to open a can of tuna. From what he had seen, the kid seemed to be obsessed with that game and would no doubt be online again. There would be plenty of time to talk with him then.

That afternoon, Kite did not log into The World once.

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_A/N: Is it just me, or are there more and more dot hack fanfictions popping up that are of the video game variety? Every time I see one on the front page, I squeal. No joke._

_Balmung continues to be impossible to write in character. I love the poor guy to death, but his personality in the games is just…ugh._

_See you next time! Hopefully it won't be another FIVE MONTHS, eh?_


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